1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to those devices designed to prevent the separation of a plug from an electrical outlet. More specifically, the present invention relates to those devices that can be connected or attached to an electrical outlet to prevent the inadvertent removal of an electrical plug from its respective socket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been numerous developments of devices that prevent the removal of a plug from an electrical outlet. Of these patents, few describe a means to attach plugs of various sizes to their respective outlets. Many focus on singular plug shapes and designs and require the attachment of devices to the plug itself in order for the entire device to operate effectively. The present invention provides a simplified approach to this common problem. Of those inventions previously disclosed to the U.S. Patent Office, the following are the most pertinent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,757 issued to Glenn D. Gober on Aug. 24, 1971 discloses an electrical wall outlet having threaded indentations around each of the two outlets. Provided with this particular embodiment are threaded elements that can be screwed into the respective areas on the outlet. The plug is surrounded with this threaded element. When the plug is inserted into the socket, the threaded element surrounding the plug can be screwed into place thereby securing the plug to the socket. Although this system is effective, the requirement of separate parts can be cumbersome. The assembly of these parts can also be time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,104 issued to Thomas B. Caldwell on May 14, 1974 discloses a safety device for an electrical wall outlet. In this disclosure, a two prong device is screwed into place around the plug. Such an arrangement prevents the inadvertent removal of the plug from the respective wall socket. However, it prevents the utilization of both outlets simultaneously. Moreover, to remove the wall socket protector, a screw must be removed. This makes the application both cumbersome and time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,618 issued to Francis W. Beck, Jr. on Apr. 11, 1978 discloses a safety enclosure that surrounds an electrical outlet. This safety enclosure prevents the inadvertent removal of a plug from its respective outlet. Though useful, this invention does not allow for any number of plug sizes within the same enclosure. Thus, theoretically, if the plug were larger, the enclosure would have to be replaced with one of a concordantly larger size. This is a cumbersome and time consuming process.
The above mentioned patents are by no means inclusive of all designs possible. However, they do present a representative sample of the types of inventions to date. The present invention addresses some of the fallacies related to the aforementioned inventions, and solves these problems in a comprehensive manner. Thus, the present invention provides a unique improvement over the prior art.